The Uncharted 3 Beta got off to a disappointing start earlier this week, with a number of issues affecting playability. The Welcome Back PlayStation Plus offer give every PSN user access to the beta, and a few hours after going live the servers were overloaded with lots of players trying to connect at the same time.
Firmware Update 3.65 made a small update to the PS3 System Software, by renaming the Save Data Utility for Minis to also include PSP save data. The reason for this change is now clear. At the GTMF (Game Tools and Middleware Forum) in Tokyo, Sony announced the PSP Engine – a middleware between the PS3 and a PSP game.
Whilst the PlayStation Network is up and running across the rest of the world, the network is still down in Sony’s home country: Japan. Sony issued their first statement on the issue for two weeks late last week, saying that more time is needed to “make adjustments with the various related parties” but didn’t give a timescale on when this will all be resolved.
Sony has unveiled a new line of PSP bundles called “Dual Packs”. This week, three different dual packs will be available to purchase, which include two popular games in one package for only $14.99. A perfect bargain if you are looking to pick up some classic titles for your PSP.
If CVG and VG247 are to be believed, the PlayStation Vita won’t arrive on European store shelves until early 2012. Although the release date has yet to be confirmed by Sony, they are still aiming for a pre-Christmas launch in North America. It would be disappointing if the European release date is in 2011.
The Official PlayStation Mobile App is getting its first major update since it was released back in January. The next version, v1.1, will include some requested features and will be available to download from iTunes and Android Market in a few weeks. Read more for details on what has been added and improved.
A new PS3 system software update, v3.66, has been released. With this minor update, system stability during use of PS3 format software and network services has been improved. Nothing else is new in this update, and it’s mandatory to install this before you can play online.
For a limited time, eligible PlayStation 3 owners can try out a free 180-day Basic subscription of Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for free! That means that you have 6 months to check out the service and listen to 7 million tracks before you decide to sign up for a full subscription.
Japan has received two updated PlayStation 3 Slim units, but don’t add any additional hard drive space or new features. The CECH-3000B model retains the 320GB HDD found in current ‘B’ models, while the CECH-3000A (160GB) model appears the same too. The two main differences are the power consumption rating which drops 30W to 200W and a drop in weight from 3kg to 2.6kg.
According to a industry source, those new CECH-3000A/B PS3 models that have been released in Japan feature more than just a reduction in weight and power consumption. They’ll also be shipping with new copy protection features built in to the hardware.
